Recipe: Bourbon Roasted Oysters

With Spicy Bacon Butter

This oyster recipe comes from Knob Creek Bourbon. Though it takes two days to prepare, the process is not actually time-consuming—it just requires overnight marinating. Impress your friends with this fancy dish, accented with flavorful bacon butter. You can find more bourbon-enhanced recipes at KnobCreek.com.

Decide how many oysters you want to serve per person, then multiply the ingredients accordingly. It can be served as a first course, or as a main course with rice or mashed sweet potatoes.

*There are many varieties of Pacific and Virginica, or Atlantic, oysters. Each is named after the town, bay, or other area where it is harvested. Use whatever is freshest. Avoid Kumamoto oysters—they’re too small. See our Oyster Glossary for more information about oysters.

Spicy Bacon Butter

1/4 pound butter (1 stick), softened

1/8 cup bacon, minced

3/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon shallots, minced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1-1/2 teaspoon parsley, chopped

Preparation

Spicy Bacon Butter

Blend all ingredients in mixer until thoroughly combined.

Chill in refrigerator until needed.

One Day Before Serving

Shuck the oysters, saving the shells (they should be rinsed before shucking and washed thoroughly after shucking).

To make the marinade, combine all other ingredients, stirring until the brown sugar is dissolved.

Pour the marinade over the oysters and refrigerate overnight in a well-sealed container. Be sure that the oysters are covered by the marinade.

Serving Day

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour salt in the baking dish (the salt will help keep oyster shells upright during baking).

Place four shells on top of the salt and put one marinated oyster into each shell. Roast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until plump.

Transfer to a serving plate, garnish each oyster with a small piece of spicy bacon butter and serve immediately.